One on one interviews (customer visit teams)

Competency Group: Business

Type: Process

Description: Personal interviews are one form of primary market research. The face-to-face contact between researcher and respondent can lend substantially to the potential quality of data that can be obtained. In the face-to-face interview it is possible to record more than the verbal responses of the interviewee, which are often superficial. When two people face one another, the discussion is conducted on several levels. It goes beyond verbal expression. The nature of words used, facial expressions, and body language all communicate what the other party means. Interviews are one means obtaining this type of information.

Citation for Description: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1997). Marketing research and information systems: Chapter 5: Personal interviews. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/W3241E/w3241e06.htm

Units: Data which can be used to profile the voice of the customer

Advantages: Each person gets from 30 — 60 minutes of talk time. Lots of data is generated per person and they are easy to schedule.

Limitations: Very time consuming. The interviewer has a large workload including a lot of analysis time.

Target Audience: Top management, Marketing, R&D

Relevant to Universal Design: Yes

Stages and Steps: 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 4.11, 5.3, 6.1, 6.3

Free Resource: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Chapter 5: Personal interviews. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/W3241E/w3241e06.htm.

Free Resource: Emergency Capacity Building Project. (2011). The good enough guide: How to conduct an individual interview. Retrieved from http://www.ecbproject.org/tools/tool-5-how-to-conduct-an-individual-interview.